Cat's Den Origins

Though small, the school store - the Cat's Den - takes a team effort to run, being the latest effort to provide students with a spot to purchase snacks, check out WHS merchandise, and socialize with friends.

"l enjoy the atmosphere and the people that work there. They have great service and I like hanging out there," junior Austin Cranmore said. "The store is very professional while making you feel welcome."

The school store has taken many forms, but the Cat's Den stands out from its predecessors due to the store's leaders, Max Burd and Siyang Ding, who are dedicated to its development and success.

"Last year they stepped up because the seniors that were running the store graduated," business teacher, DECA and Cat's Den advisor Kelly Flynn said. "They had so many ideas, so they worked through the summer and have done amazing work.

Both leaders share a passion for DECA, business, and curating a space for students, so Burd and Ding willingly took over as the next generation of management to bring the store to its full potential.

"We don't see this as a standard school store; we see it as an actual retail business and we treat it as such," co-executive director and senior Burd said.

Part of their ambition and business mindset stems from their involvement in DECA. This year, four employees will have the opportunity to attend the International Career Development Conference, the highest level of DECA competition. The Cat's Den will enter under the categories School-Based Enterprise: Retail Operations and School-Based Enterprise: Food operations.

As the executive directors, Burd and Ding have many specific tasks to complete. These tasks include assembling operations, setting long-term and short-term goals, communicating with employees and working shifts.

"If you think about the bare operations of a standard retail business, that took us about five to six months to set up," Burd said. "Now, it's all about our public image, relationships with our partners, and really marketing ourselves while building the professional operations ofthe store. "

Although the running ofthe school store is now routine, like any retail business, the process of getting to that point had its difficulties.

"There were challenges on the administrative side dealing with various suppliers and interpersonal company relationships," Ding said. "There was also figuring out scheduling and everything else that goes into setting up a business like finances, overseeing the company, and making sure there's a sufficient system for handling orders."

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The constant work for the leaders is not the hardest part of managing the school store, however.

"The biggest challenge has been working through the fact that we're all high schoolers," Ding said. "We have structured an organization very professionally with 30 high schoolers and a chain of command, and we do things that professionals are supposed to do. We are turning high schoolers into young adults."

But with hard work comes progress and success. Last year, the Cat's Den logged $15,000 in revenue, and is projected to hit $30,000 this year. When it comes to food, a major part ofthis revenue, the store offers unique items from Spain and Asia to increase sales.

It's very hard to compete specifically in the food section of sales because ofthe cafeteria, and we are restricted to certain times we can open and what we can sell [due to the federal nutrition guidelines]," manufacturing associate and junior Jae lyengar said.

While money plays an important part in running a business, it's not always the best part.

"My favorite thing about running and being a part ofthis amazing team is witnessing first hand every day how high school students can function and operate at a professional level," Burd said. "Siyang and I have very professional visions for the store, and we have high expectations for ourselves and our employees, and our employees continuously blow us away with the quality of their work.

Employees are able to produce good work and learn the depth of a retail business under the guidance of Burd, Ding and Flynn, while working in a healthy environment.

"The things I enjoy most about working at the store are the nice people and great community," marketing interim and sophomore Keion Jalinous said.

The business model Burd and Ding have created is intended to ensure, not only that WHS students have a place to buy treats and school swag, but also that the Cat's Den will be here to stay. The executive directors project that the school store will remain open for years to come, and hope to make an equally lasting change in the community.

"We've done things to help out the community, for example, we made donations to Pumpkinfest fundraisers," Ding said. "And when you see kids at school wearing the merch you printed for them, it's a good feeling. We're able to make an impact. "